Pistons vs. Wizards: Detroit looks to take two from Wiz

Well now. That was fun. Let's do it again.

Game tips at 7 p.m. EST
Detroit Pistons: 8-21 (2-13 road)
Washington Wizards: 3-21 (2-9 home)
Detroit Pistons Tickets

The Situation

Last night the Pistons broke a six-game losing streak to send the Wizards to one of their own. Washington played without four players who entered the season penciled in as starters, and several of their backups. Detroit took advantage by setting the tone from the beginning, jumping out to a 12-2 lead and never looking back.

After making some hilarious comments regarding his dominant scoring and unselfish nature as a player, Jordan Crawford was Washington's offense putting up one of the ugliest 20/7/7 stat lines you're likely to see. The ball-dominating guard helped the Pistons hold their first opponent to under 70 points since 2008.

The Pistons used a balanced attack with four players in double digits. Drummond was dominant with third career double-double, bringing 11 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks in 21 minutes of play. Moose brought a solid 15/9/3 and Stuckey also played very well, particularly with this fantastic pass to Drummond. He left the game after taking a shot to the face from Seraphin that loosened a tooth, but he's expected to travel tonight.

Probably the best moment came with Viacheslav Kravtsov earning his the minutes of his career. The bench exploded when Ktrl+V earned his first field goal on a dunk with 22 seconds remaining. After losing six straight and 21 of 28, it was a much-needed bright spot.

After the game, Randy Whitman issued an apology:
"That was an embarrassment, and I apologize to our ownership and to our fans. I especially apologize to anyone who watched that entire game. I would have turned it off after the first five minutes.''

Awe heck, no apology necessary, Randy. I think Pistons fans rather enjoyed watching it.

Keys to the Game

Feed the Moose: Same as yesterday. Monroe can have his way against Okafor, Seraphin, and Barron. The Wizard's perimeter defense was awful, allowing Detroit plenty of open looks as they went 10-24 behind the arc. But with that, Moose didn't get enough touches.

Bull-Moose Party: It's the second of a back-to-back, particularly one involving travel. Still, it seems like this would be a good one to feed some extended minutes to Drummond, particularly alongside Monroe. The Pistons only have two games next week and will get three days off after tonight.

Pace: With half their roster injured, Washington has little in the way of depth. Whitman leaned heavily on his starters despite the blowout. Detroit should look to run at every opportunity.

Question of the Game

Wherefore art thou Jonas? He made the floor for the first time in 15 games yesterday, earning a three-pointer and four rebounds in only five minutes (then sprinted off the floor immediately after the buzzer). Daye's shown little to nothing as a backup. When can Jonas get an attempt at the backup small forward role?